Winds enough to stave off vog from Big Island

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KAHULUI - An early-season North Pacific cold front cut the normal trade winds as predicted over the weekend but allowed enough of a northeasterly breeze to keep the vog from the Kilauea eruption away from Maui County.

The slow-moving front pushing a high-pressure ridge over the islands kept the islands mostly clear and dry, with ground heating raising the daytime temperature in Kahului to 90 degrees for two straight days Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday with light northerly winds continuing, Kahului topped out at a mild 85 although West Maui recorded a high of 91.

The warm, clear days and light winds meant there was little relief from drought conditions in most of Maui County, with the East Maui watershed again showing the stress of inadequate rainfall.

Water use remained stable through most of the county, Water Director Jeff Eng said in his weekly water use report.

But demand spiked to 9.5 million gallons a day on the Upcountry lines Sept. 21 and rose to an average 8.13 mgd through the period of Sept. 18-24.

"The Upper Kula reservoirs showed a drop in their water levels, with Waikamoi remaining nearly empty and Kahakapao dropping by over 6 million gallons in the past week," he said.

"With NOAA's recent forecast for below-normal precipitation for the rest of the year, I hope our customers can find ways to use water more efficiently."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center has forecast low rainfall through the end of 2008 across the Hawaiian Islands, with rainfall data for September accentuating the forecast.

As of Sunday, the West Wailua Iki rain gauge in the East Maui watershed had received 5.8 inches of rain for September. Normal rainfall in September at West Wailua Iki is 11.8 inches.

The Puu Kukui gauge in the West Maui watershed has recorded 6.5 inches for September, compared with a normal 23.2 inches.

The effects are evident in the conditions of the water collection systems providing for Upcountry Maui consumers. Upcountry reservoirs held 110 million gallons Friday, down 30 million gallons from two weeks ago.

Flows in the Wailoa Ditch, a key water source for the system, were fluctuating from 52.5 mgd to 26 mgd during the past week.

There is some hope the frontal system responsible for the light winds over the weekend may lead to showers in Maui County on Tuesday and Wednesday as it continues to slide eastward. Maui weather analyst Glenn James said that the front itself will not carry much moisture over the islands, but as it dissipates, the trade winds moving back in behind the system may carry in cloud-forming moisture over windward slopes and Maui's watersheds.

Updated information is available at James' www.hawaiiweathertoday.com site or on his cable television broadcast, "Maui Weather Today," at 6:45 a.m. daily on Channel 55.

* Edwin Tanji can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com.